Means for lubricating leaf springs



C. J. COLEMAN MEANS FOR LUBRICATING LEAF SPRING Aug. 211, 1923.

Original Filed Jan. 26, 1921 Ink/e72 far, Karl J a-[amaze @d cars. 7 1,I

-An object'of; the invention, is-the provi- Patented Aug. 23, 1%23. Q

war ii;:

' cans; .jr. corniir'anjor ltrnnnnronrs, MI

means e LUBEICATING L-En-nsrnmes.

. Application filed January as, war-serial No. 40,033. Renewed Ja ar ii;lees." 7

To all whomit map concern: i

Bait known that I, CA L J CoLrmANQa citizen of the UnitedSta-tes,'r.esiding at .lMinneapoli's, in the gcounty of Hennepin andState of Minnesota, have inventedcertain new anduseful ImprovementsinMeans for Lubricating Leaffs prings, oi which "the fol lowing is aspecification. ,f. p

y This invention relatesto n eansfor lubrieating leaf springs o fautomobiles and more particularly, to means .for lubricatingithe"forward semi-elliptic cross spring, and 'the cross spring ofFord cent-jally arched rear sion of an: efi'ective lubricant holding anddispensing device, which maybe appl ed to 'Eordcars in such aqmanner, asto be almost whollyconcealed from View, so as .not to interfere withthegeneral outward I p curve, while the sprIngcur-Ves downwardly appearanceof the car.

A further object of the 'inventiongis :to

provide improved lubricating means for automobile leaf springs,Iwherein, during travel, .the constant vibrations of the spring towardand away from the car \body are utilized to assist'in forcing thelubricant out of its holder. l

' Y Figure 3 is view's,: drawnyto.-a reduced scale, respec Astill'further' object of the invention, is to provide a device ofthe'class described, which may be ,easily applied to the carand beconveniently accessible to replenish the oil s'upply-in'its reservoir. I

To this end, the invention consists in the construction, combinationand-arrangement of parts,hereinafter'described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure .1, is a fragmentary perspectiveView of the semi-elliptic'cross spring of a Ford automobile, and thefront cross member of-the chassis framesupporting said spring,invention.- being; shown positioned thereon. V

Figure 2 is'a fra-gmentaryr'ear viewoit the rear cross member of a Fordcar,-showing a part of the arched-rear spring supported by said member,and my invention'positioned thereon.

tional View of the invention, shown positioned between the forward crossmember and spring. f 1 f I Figures sand -5 and 6 are perspective .tivelyor the cover, reser anlflenlarged longitudinal sec- I m m Oi thei enwtqia d 'F gure 71 a frontiview of ir nd' i t biit i f he a ein straphown apfplieidtothel front cross mem I ber.

' sir designates the iiront-crossgniember the ha ssi s, frame ofalfordautomobile,"and B the seniisellipti c ,sp1'ing"firni1y,secured,

y m 0f th er1 1 1 22 "slip- (3,110 a meniher; The cross ,mernber: is"channeled or U" h r d" is; rass ee i m (F t e ee thereof extendingdownwardly} parallel.relation, -i'rom the cross web 1);." ii entrally; hi e her l s me b i formed with a straight portion, as are.- .also' Z theleaves of the spring B, so thatthelspring andpross member may beifirinly;bo1 l llto-- getherby the spring clip (jn either of said clip,thecros'sfmember extends up; I

an u -W dJr hH or i e. pa e (h v in'g curv'edqdiverging wallsybetweenthe underside of the cross web bgand upper side oi the spring leaves. Asthe spring-leaves V V are -In'ade progressively shorter, shoulders. oare formed on the upper-side of the spring. Qbvlously, when thecrossmember is rocked laterallyor thespring B stressed, th'eangle (asatdfiol) :between said diverging ,wallsi is changed with each movement.I have taken advantage ,oithisconstant change of angle, my inventionbeing formedto yield ingly fit into said angle, between the legs v'Theinvention comprises-a, casing consist- I ing ofza-?CllStIlb11l31Ilg.6lQl11 GnC' D, a'supply holdingelementE,;and acovermember g The distributing element comprises wedge shaped receptaclewith parallel side walls :1, and an end wall-3, and anginclined bottoma. The walls 151; and Y31 "form' a; rectangular opening of whichthegedge 5 of thezbottom 4: "forms one end. The b'o'ttom. is formedjwithsuccessive offsets, so as to fit over-the uppersides of the overlappingmembers ef and .y of the leaf spring as shown in; Figure 3. intervalsthroughout. its length, the bottom-a is zforrned' with transversegutters;fi extending;to the side g Walls c ei t er. hav ng at t OPPQ i eends. anoil outlet 7 cutting through the v Walls-l. The element D isformed, so as to render its open top approximately-level,

' When the spring' B is under normal stress; Telescoping closelyover'the elemental), hire the cover of a paper box is the coy e r F,

' its forward portion formed With a rear- 'Wardly' inclined Wall8,=.and.a rearjvardly opening hook 9 at the base'oit'said Wall, saidhook.extendingthelfull Width of the cover, and adapted to receive theedge '5 of the element '1). The outer Wal1-101of the cover is formedatits base with al-ip 1l,and-at its top withan' oil hole 12, throughwhich oil'maybe supplied.- The-Wall 8 is slightly parallel relation withthe bottom 4 of'the' elementD. At its rear'extrem'ity it i's'bent' Idownward-1y to form ,afstub l5,"exten'ding "over-one of the offsets-in.the bottom 4; to iold "the spring againstshifting; Between. j thespringv 14 and the bottom 4, and'en-.

'Etirely. covering the latter, is a Wick '16,

fwherebyi'oil is carriedfrom' one gutter 6' tothe other. -Nesting intothe element D so asto be readily removable, is the Wedge shaped oilreservoir E,jhavingat' its" shallOW forward end an. oil outlet li', andat its opposite-enda support lS-a'dapted to reston the bottom 4 of theelement D. Nhen positioned the, top of the reservoir is approximatelylevel When the spring 'B is under normal stress. Wick 19 covering.-.;'the bottom of the reservoir serves to conduct *ftlie'oil totheoutletlT. Forward, the reservoir' rests, onthe WlCk' 16, so thatoildischarged from the outlet 17. is distributed by the. said Wicks Tocompensate for the steeper angle .at h With respect to therearspring H,supported by the rear"cross mem ber l, the reservoir "ismade deeper, asindi cated in dotted lines '(Fig. 3')" so that the T level of'the'oil'would be indicated by the f line g'-g. To hold the device positioned, Iprovide the strap clip 20, which latter may .be firmlysecured to thecross member so as to engage-the lipll of thecover, thereby ipreventing'the device irom slippingout of place.

As the angle between the cross member and spring]; changes, the'elementD Will Q pivot v'vith its. edgei5fin the hook 9, the: spring 14constantly tending, under stress,

to separate saidfcross member and spring 13. Thus, the cover in itsincessant upland down movement, duringtravel, operates like abellows; itsuck-mg air through its telescoping joint With the element 1), Withevery up stroke, and tending" to'force .tl le 0il out i of'the'openings' 7 yvithevery down stroke.

As the oil oozes out' of the openings it runs down the edges of thespring leaves and Works its way into the crevices between them.

. I claim: I

1. An oiling device of the class described,

comprisingin Combination with a vehicle frameand leaf spring connectedwith said 7 .frame, apart of said spring extending at an angle from saidframe, said angle changing responsive to the -flexing of said,- spring,a closed oil container held'positlone'd n said angle, hav ngoil-"discharge openings ad- 7 jacent said spring, said container com'rising an upper part and alower part tted V 'to be movable inapproximately airtight relation toward and away fromeach other,

and means constantlyholding said upper part against said frame andsaidlower part j against said spring.

Y 2- An oiling device, or the'class described,

comprising in.combinationgwith a -vehicle frame and a leaf springsecured" to said frame, a par-t' ozt said lea'f spring extending atanangle from said frame so that said angle Will change responsive to theflexing" oi said spring, a lubri'cant container held 1 positionedin saidangleonthe top-jot the .leavesof the spring and having dischargeopenings adjacent the edges 'thereohan'd a cover-for'said'container,-mounted so asto y eld verticallyv responsive-to the flexingof said spring.

3. 'An oiling device ofthei class described,

comprising in combination with a channeled frame member, the channelthereof directed at an angle out ofsaid channel, a lubricant holdingdispensing device hav ng discharge openings ad acent said spring 1 andformed ing said device-positioned.

dow'nvvardly,anda leaf spring mounted in the} channel of said member andextendlng to fit the angle-between the channel and said spring and meansonthe channel for hold- I 4:. An oiling device of the-class describedcomprising a closedioa'sin'g formed of telescoping-sections one abovetheother and constructed to fit intojt he angle formed-at the juncture ofthe frame of a vehicle'vvith a downwardly and outwardly curved leafspring, said angle changing responsive to" a flexing movement of saidspring, -means tending to separate said telescoping sections, the low-ersect on of said casing fittlng over the upper curved surface oi theleaves ofsaid spring and having discharge openings along itsiower outeredges, the edge surrounding the top of said lower section beingnormally;

ina level plane.

and for-the purpose set forth,'comprising an open top receptacle havlngan'inclined floor formed wlth transverse. gutters and 5. Anoi'lingdevice of the class described outlet openings at theiendsof each of said5 gutterscutting through-the wallsof said receptacle, a coverpivoted onone end of said receptacle and extending to the high end of the floorthereof and having a dis charge opening thereat. I

6. An oiling device of the class described and for the purpose setforth, comprising a casing formed of a lower member having a laterallygrooved inclined bottom and discharge openings at the grooves along theedges of said bottom, a spring pressed COVer member fitting over said'lower member so as to be movable 'rdownwardly against the. stress of-itsspring,'an 'oil supplying means Within the casing for supplying oil atthe elevated end of' said inclined floor, andan element capable ofholding the oil by capillary action covering said inclined bottom toslowly oonvey the oil down the inclined bot tom to said grooves.

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

CARL J COLEMAN.

